Anhar Hassan Mohammed Omar, 29, from Jir South, Nyala, faced financial struggles reaching the hospital. She worked 16-hour shifts throughout her pregnancy to cover treatment and nutrition. After a C-section at Nyala Teaching Hospital, she expressed deep gratitude to the staff and noted that many pregnant women lack proper healthcare. © Abdoalsalam Abdallah/MSF
This is a crisis unlike any other I have seen in my career. Multiple health emergencies happening simultaneously with almost no international response from the UN and others. Newborn babies, pregnant women and new mothers dying in shocking numbers; so many deaths are due to preventable conditions, but almost everything has broken down.Dr Burkhardt, health activity manager
Fadila Mohammed Abdullah, 28 years old, resides in the city of Nyala. She regularly comes for check-ups and receives healthcare services at Nyala Teaching Hospital due to its accessibility and the availability of services. © Abdoalsalam Abdallah/MSF
From January to August in South Darfur, there were 46 maternal deaths in Nyala Teaching and Kas Rural hospitals, where Doctors Without Borders teams provide obstetric care and other services. The scarcity of functioning health facilities and unaffordable transportation costs mean many women arrive at hospital in critical condition. Around 78 per cent of these 46 deaths occurred in the first 24 hours following admission.
Sepsis was the most common cause of maternal death in all Doctors Without Borders-supported facilities in South Darfur. The dearth of functioning health facilities forces women to give birth in unsanitary environments that lack basic items such as soap, clean delivery mats, and sterilised instruments. Without these basic items women are getting infections. And with antibiotics in low supply, they can arrive at a hospital only to be met with no treatment option available.
A pregnant patient from a rural area waited two days to collect the money needed to get care. When she travelled to a health centre, they had no drugs so she went back home. After three days, her condition deteriorated but again she had to wait five hours for transportation. She was already in a coma when she reached us. She died from a preventable infection.Maria Fix, medical team leader
The crisis in South Darfur extends to children, with thousands on the brink of death and starvation, while others are dying of preventable conditions. From January to June 2024, 48 newborns died from sepsis in in Nyala Teaching and Kas Rural hospitals, meaning one in five newborns with sepsis did not survive.
In August, 30,000 children under two-years-old were screened for malnutrition in South Darfur. Of these, 32.5% were found to be acutely malnourished, well beyond the World Health Organization’s emergency threshold of 15%. Furthermore, 8.1% of children screened were severely acutely malnourished.
Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, was a hub for humanitarian organisations before the war. But since its outbreak, most organisations have not returned. The UN still has no international staff in the city, where Doctors Without Borders is one of the only international organisations present. Between January and August, Doctors Without Borders teams in South Darfur provided 12,600 ante- and post-natal consultations and assisted in 4,330 normal and complicated deliveries.
Anhar Hassan Mohammed Omar, 29, lives in Nyala's Jir South neighborhood. To afford treatment and nutrition during her pregnancy, she worked 16-hour shifts until her ninth month. © Abdoalsalam Abdallah/MSF
After Anhar Hassan Mohammed Omar, 29, arriving at Nyala Teaching Hospital, she underwent a C-section and received essential medical care. Anhar noted that many pregnant women lack proper healthcare and expressed her gratitude to the hospital staff. © Abdoalsalam Abdallah/MSF
Fatoum Abdelkarim, 30 years old, from the city of Nyala, in her seventh month of pregnancy. She struggled with the high cost of medical supplies and doctor visits, unable to afford the expensive fees. Eventually, she reached Nyala Teaching Hospital, where she now receives regular and free medical care. © Abdoalsalam Abdallah/MSF
Across Sudan, interrelated crises are compounding to cause immense suffering, with little help available, as Dr Burkhardt, who worked in North Darfur prior to her assignment in South Darfur, explains.
The disparity between the huge needs for healthcare, food and basic services and the consistently lacking international response is disgraceful. We call on donors, the UN and international organisations to urgently increase funding and scale up and supply maternal health and nutrition programmes. We know that Sudan is a challenging place to work but waiting for challenges to disappear by themselves is getting nowhere. For thousands of mothers and children it's already too late; risks must be managed and solutions found before yet more lives are lost.Dr Burkhardt, health activity manager
Conflict is also driving the maternal and child health crisis as people are displaced and subject to violence. Supply shortages are aggravated by the warring parties which, along with their affiliated armed groups, continue to block or restrict access to lifesaving aid.
The crisis risks trapping families in protracted cycles of malnutrition, sickness, and deteriorating health that spans generations.
-- A patient caretaker described the impact of the crises on their family
